Fan gets football banning order for vicious attack

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A POMPEY fan is scarred for life after being set upon by a rival fan following the club’s home clash against Newport.

Teenager Harry Davis, 18, needed 10 stitches for a cut to his head after being set upon by dad Darren Bourne on the railway bridge between platforms at Fratton train station.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard Newport fan Bourne lashed out after overhearing Mr Davis make a derogatory comment about Welsh people following Pompey’s 1-0 defeat on August 30.

The court heard trouble had earlier flared between rival fans in Goldsmith Avenue, Southsea, near Fratton Park, but that neither Mr Davis nor Bourne were involved in that disorder.

But now Bourne, 33, of Gainsborough Road, Newport, Gwent, has been sentenced to 36 weeks in jail suspended for a year after he admitted grievous bodily harm with intent.

He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to Mr Davis and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Bourne was given a three-year football banning order.

He previously received a three-year order banning him from attending games in 2008 for being involved in disorder following a Newport clash against Cardiff.

Tammy Mears, prosecuting, said Bourne overheard the comment made by Mr Davis, which was also heard by an off-duty special police constable, and Bourne then pushed his head into a railing causing his forehead to split open to the bone.

Miss Mears said: ‘There is a scar of some length above the eyebrow which will be a permanent fixture in so far as Mr Davis is concerned.’

Mr Davis also suffered a fracture to the front of his sinus.

The court heard Bourne has shown remorse, that he was not looking for a fight and ‘deeply, deeply regrets that he behaved in the way he did.’

A total of 12 references were handed to sentencing Judge Sarah Munro QC.

Addressing Bourne, Judge Munro said: ‘There was abusive language directed at the Welsh fans and you heard that and it was hearing that from him that caused you to act in a totally out of proportion way.

‘You grabbed him from behind and you pushed his head violently into the structure of the metal bridge, which caused his head to split open and a huge cut which bled profusely.’